Podcasts about Chinese

This week we talk about the Pacific Palisades, Hurricane Katrina, and reinsurance.We also discuss developed property values, arsons, and the cost of disasters.Recommended Book: The Data Detective by Tim HarfordTranscriptNatural disasters, whether we're talking about storms or fires or earthquakes, or some combination of those and other often related issues, like flooding, can be incredibly expensive.This has always been true, both in terms of lives and material damage caused, but also in terms of raw currency—the value of stuff that's destroyed and thus has to be rebuilt, replaced, or in some rare cases partitioned off so that similar things don't happen in the future, or because the space is just so irreparably demolished that it's not cost effective to do anything with the land, moving forward.The four most expensive natural disasters that we've been able to tally—so this doesn't include historical disasters that are far enough back that we can't really quantify the damage, due to an inability to directly compare, or insufficient data upon which to base such quantification—the top four that we can line up against other such disasters and compare the numbers for are all earthquakes.The earthquake in Japan in 2011 that, in addition to causing a lot of damage unto itself, also caused the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant tops the list, with a cost at the time of around $360 billion, which would be nearly $490 billion in today's dollars.The second most expensive natural disaster is also an earthquake in Japan, this one hitting a region called Hanshin in 1995, causing about $200 billion worth of damage in mid-90s money, which would be about $400 billion, today, and the third was an earthquake not too long ago, the 2023 quake that struck along Turkey and Syria's border, causing something like $160 billion in damage.The fourth costliest natural disaster hit China in 2008, causing around $130 billion in damage, which is about $184 billion in today's money.These disasters also caused a lot of casualties and deaths; about 20,000 people died in that most-costly, nuclear-incident-triggering quake, while nearly 88,000 were killed in that fourth-most-costly, Chinese one.The Great Hanshin quake, in comparison, lead to somewhere around 6,000 deaths: which is still just a staggering human loss, but it's an order of magnitude less than in those other comparable disasters; which hints at the trend we see with these sorts of events—the scale of wounded and killed doesn't necessarily correlate with the scale of costs associated with damaged and destroyed infrastructure and other assets.The costliest natural disaster in US history, as of the first week of 2025, at least, was Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, which all but destroyed the city of New Orleans and much of the surrounding area, causing around $125 billion in damage, which is equivalent to about $195 billion, today, but it only led to around 1,400 deaths: again, all of those deaths absolute tragedies, and any disaster that causes that many deaths is an historical event. But looking at the raw numbers, that's a shockingly low figure compared to the sum of the monetary damages tallied; it's actually remarkable as few people died as they did, looking at this storm and it's impacts through that lens.What I'd like to talk about today is another natural disaster, this one ongoing as I record this, that looks primed to take the record of most-costly, in terms of money, US natural disaster from Katrina, and some of the implications of this disaster.—Part of why disasters in the US, natural or otherwise, tend to result in fewer fatalities than those that occur elsewhere is that the US is a very wealthy country with relatively high-quality and widely dispersed infrastructure.There are quibbles to be voiced about that claim, as many recent reports indicate that said infrastructure isn't terribly well maintained, and that the country's healthcare setup and relatively low pay and support for the sorts of people who save lives and rescue victims in the midst of such disasters raise questions about how long this will continue to be the case; some of these high-quality systems are somewhat fragile, in other words, and won't always perform at the level they arguably should.That said, in general, when need be, US government institutions—federal and regional—are capable of throwing money at issues until they mostly go away, and they have a lot of decent resources to leverage when need-be, as well. Americans in general also have reasonable amounts of resources to call upon, on average at least, when they need to flee town and stay elsewhere for a while until a storm subsides, for instance.This is all on average, and we tend to see the gaps in that generality when disasters hit, and Katrina is a perfect example of this disaster illuminated dichotomy, as a lot of the country's least well off people, who have arguably been let down by the system and their government in various ways, were unable to do what everyone else was capable of doing, and were thus stuck in ramshackle and dangerous accommodations, and in some cases weren't rescued because of the nature of the infrastructure that was meant to help protect them, but which was ultimately incapable of doing so. Other people were shuttled by those entities to other parts of the country while the disaster was being handled, and some were never brought back—it was all a pretty big scandal.Looking at the averages, though, the US tends to experience disasters that are more expensive in terms of money than lives because there's more costly infrastructure in place, more valuable assets owned by pretty much everyone, compared to many other nations around the world, at least, and folks are generally capable of getting out of the way of stuff that might kill them—at least when we're talking about things like storms and fires.Case in point is the ongoing, as of the day I'm recording this, jumble of wildfires that are menacing, and in some cases demolishing, parts of the Greater Los Angeles area in Southern California.As of the day I'm recording this, a day before this episode goes live, there are two primary fires still spreading, designated as the Eaton and Palisades fires, those names based on the regions in which they started to flare out of control, and several smaller ones called the Kenneth, Hurst, and Lidia fires.The Palisades fire is currently the largest, having burned about 24,000 acres, followed by the Eaton, which has consumed around 14,000 acres. The Kenneth, Hurst, and Lidia fires have burned around 1,000, 800, and 400 acres, respectively.That's…not huge. Tens of thousands of acres is a decent sized plot of land, definitely, but for comparison, the Smokehouse Creek Fire that burned through parts of Texas and Oklahoma in 2024, and which became the largest wildfire in Texas history, consumed more than 1,100,000 acres.The Park Fire, which plagued Northern California in mid-2024, is the state's largest-ever arson-caused fire, and it consumed nearly half a million acres.So a total of just of 40,000 acres or so for this new collection of fires is piddly, within that context.The difference here is that both of those other fires consumed mostly, though not entirely, undeveloped land. And such land, while not value-less, is not the same kind of asset, in terms of dollars and cents, as heavily developed, with homes and businesses and electrical cables and roads and other such infrastructure, land tends to be.These new, Southern California fires are smaller than those other, big-name wildfires, then, but they're also consuming some of the most expensive real estate, and the properties and other assets build atop that real estate, in the world.As of right now, the Kenneth and Lidia fires are completely contained, and the Hurst is getting there. The Eaton and Palisades fires, the two largest of the group, are still mostly uncontained, however, due in part to wild and dangerous winds that are making containment efforts difficult, in some cases preventing aerial efforts, and in others making conditions extra risky for people on the ground, due to the dynamic and quick-moving nature of things.Given all of this, and again, given that these fires are burning homes worth tens of millions of dollars, located on coastal land that's in some case worth around the same, it's perhaps no surprise that analysts are already projecting that these fires could cause something like $50 to $150 billion in economic losses; and for comparison, the aforementioned Camp Fire in Northern California, which also consumed some fairly expensive homes and real estate, in addition to the undeveloped park land it consumed, only tallied about $30 billion in damage, all told, while the fires that hit Hawaii in 2023 added up to just $5.7 billion.Of that $50-150 billion total, it's estimated that around $20 billion will be covered by insurance, which represents a staggering loss for those without any, or without the proper insurance, but also potentially represents a huge loss for residents of California, as the state has an insurance of last resort scheme called the FAIR Plan, which is a privately run, but state-created entity that serves those who can't find insurance via conventional, private insurers. And often, though not always this means those customers are in areas that are too expensive or too risky for traditional insurance companies to operate in.In practice, that usually means insurers of last resort have a portfolio full of risky bets, and the plans they offer are more expensive than usual, and tend to provide less coverage and benefits than the conventional stuff.In these sorts of situations, though, we have a whole lot of risky bets than have suddenly come up snake eyes, this FAIR Plan suddenly having to pay out billions of dollars to their customers in these risky areas. And between 2023 and 2024, the number of homes in the very expensive Pacific Palisades area, which is high-risk for wildfires, nearly doubled to around $6 billion of covered assets in that zip code, alone. It's been estimated that the plan could have something like $24 billion in total losses from this cluster of ongoing fires.The FAIR Plan isn't government-funded: instead, if it runs out of money because of high levels of payouts, private insurance companies foot the bill, which will place further strain on those insurance companies, which are already expected to be staggered by losses across the region, but also then raises insurance prices for everyone in that area, moving forward, which could further inflate expenses for the state's tens of millions of residents, while also possibly incentivizing businesses to move elsewhere, which would reduce taxflows to state coffers, and over time cause even more financial problems.Reinsurance claims could muddle some of this math—reinsurance being basically insurance plans for insurance companies, bought from other, specialized insurance companies—as sufficient reinsurance coverage could help the FAIR Plan, and other insurers operating in these areas, weather the storm without being forced to raise prices excessively. But those companies, too, might then raise their reinsurance rates substantially, and those increases would then ripple across this same economic landscape.Lots of potential long-term financial damage, either way, on top of the assets lost and damage caused directly, and of course, the human losses, which as of the day I'm recording this, totals 24 people confirmed killed, dozens of people missing, and a still unquantified number of injuries and lives completely, perhaps permanently disrupted or upended.This whole situation—these fires—are complicated by many factors.The climate is one, as 2024 was the hottest year on record, the first one we've experienced, as a species, above that now-famous 1.5 degrees celsius-beyond-pre-industrial-levels milestone. That figure will fluctuate day to day and even year to year due to all sorts of variables, but the big picture here is that the global water cycle has changed because global average temperatures have been nudged upward, and that's causing a lot of upsets to local infrastructure and ecosystems that have always, since we've been here, at least, relied on that cycle functioning in a certain way, within a certain spectrum of operation.Now that we've defied that spectrum, we're finding ourselves with more extreme disasters of all kinds, but also more extreme and dangerous and damaging and deadly repercussions from those disasters, because the things we did to ameliorate them previously no longer work the same way, either.So California, especially this part of California, has been even drier than usual, and the way the state used to prevent the spread of wildfires no longer works the way it used to work; a climactic issue compounded by issues with the systems we've clung to, despite the problems they're meant to address having evolved substantially since they were originally developed and deployed.This situation is also complicated by the fact that southern California, and especially the LA area, is a hotbed for global entertainment, and that means a lot of wealth concentration.Lots of people scrambling to buy and build homes with beautiful coastal views, and the fact that these areas are high-risk for wildfires and increasingly other disasters, as well, doesn't really matter, because rich people want to be in this area, around all this activity and wealth, and it's generally understood that wealth can make you immune to these sorts of things, at least most of the time.That immunity is no longer such a given, and that high concentration of expensive assets means that even a relatively small fire can cause a heck of a lot of damage in a relatively short time.The same general collection of properties also means this region has a lot of landmarks that are at high-risk of destruction, and which are increasingly expensive to maintain and protect and repair, and it means the world is watching, to a certain degree—as celebrities flee their homes and influencers report the beat-by-beat of their evacuations—which in turn means there's plenty of incentive to spread misinformation, either out of a desire to participate in the situation, or because of honest ignorance, or for political and ideological reasons: wanting to paint the local governance as incompetent, for instance.At the moment, folks in the area are suffering from periodic power outages, largely due to local utilities shutting down some of their service areas in order to avoid starting new fires, their power cables and high winds sometimes sparking such things even in less pressure-cooker-like moments. And the air quality is absolutely abysmal, leading to localized health issues.Some areas have run out of water, apparently due to issues with reservoir infrastructure, and one of the two firefighting planes the local authorities have been using to douse the fires when the wind conditions allow has been grounded for repairs, after colliding with an illegally flown drone, the operator of which was apparently a paparazzi trying to capture photos of celebrity homes, either being consumed by fire or somehow avoiding such a fate.Again, this is a fast-moving story, and a lot is changing day by day, but at the moment it's looking like this could become the most expensive natural disaster in US history, and while local authorities are making progress in halting these fires' spread, the damage that's been done has already been substantial, and could have a lot of knock-on effects, for individuals and for the state's and country's economy, for years to come.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Firehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokehouse_Creek_Firehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/09/los-angeles-wildfire-economic-losses/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_FAIR_Planhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/climate/california-homeowners-insurance-fires.htmlhttps://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/fair-plan-insurance-losses-20025263.phphttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/08/weather/los-angeles-fire-maps-california.htmlhttps://www.wsj.com/finance/wildfire-insurance-homeowners-costs-3889531fhttps://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-insurance-crisis-that-will-follow-the-california-fireshttps://archive.ph/Inso5https://www.npr.org/2025/01/09/nx-s1-5252837/will-there-be-enough-money-to-pay-out-insurance-claims-from-the-la-wildfireshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/01/09/california-wildfire-palisades-homeowners-insurance/https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/01/public-health-emergency-declared-amid-las-devastating-wildfires/https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-wildfires-southern-california-c5826e0ab8db965cb2814132ff54ee6fhttps://apnews.com/video/fires-wildfires-los-angeles-los-angeles-area-wildfires-california-574351467d2142ad958c212a0413ad96https://www.reuters.com/world/us/san-fernando-valley-under-threat-los-angeles-fire-rages-2025-01-12/https://www.wsj.com/us-news/los-angeles-wildfires-social-media-rumors-44d224b4https://www.wsj.com/style/los-angeles-hollywood-fires-celebrities-homes-paris-hilton-d1e3a7dehttps://www.vulture.com/article/hollywood-paparazzi-los-angeles-fire.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/jan/12/california-fires-death-toll-expected-rise-ucla-threatened-winds-latest-updateshttps://www.reuters.com/business/environment/2024-was-first-year-above-15c-global-warming-scientists-say-2025-01-10/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/us/los-angeles-fire-water-hydrant-failure.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oE4.OUQs.lcdCoSSeQBtLhttps://www.axios.com/2025/01/11/los-angeles-fire-insurance-losses-billionshttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-08/palisades-fire-devastation-scopehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/01/11/los-angeles-fires-california-updates-palisades-eaton-kenneth/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-09/drone-collides-with-firefighting-aircraft-over-palisades-fire-faa-sayshttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/11/us/los-angeles-calfire-firefighters.htmlhttps://www.axios.com/2025/01/12/la-fires-climate-change-drought-extreme-weatherhttps://www.axios.com/2025/01/12/california-wildfires-loss-mental-healthhttps://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/12/us/los-angeles-fires-californiahttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/us/trump-los-angeles-fire-newsom-bass.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrinahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Sichuan_earthquakehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Turkey%E2%80%93Syria_earthquakeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanshin_earthquakehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disasters_by_cost This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

   Something has to give with Tik Tok in America as the Chinese are using it to spy on us.  Now a pair of Mar a Lago Trump Bros are competing to buy it as Elon Musk says he's interested.  It's Canadian American vs African American... here we go.    New Missouri governor Mike Kehoe took his hand off the bible and immediately targeted criminals.  It sounds great, we'll see how he does with his plan to start with smaller crimes to prevent criminals from growing into monsters.    Congress has introduced a bill to authorized President Trump to negotiate with Denmark to acquire Greenland citing essential national security.    A Golden child is born in KC and I'm a little embarrassed by how we act.  NFL home teams continue to roll as the higher seeds went 5-1 in the first round.  An Olympian loses all his medals in the LA fires but there is a silver lining.  And Jontay Porter's NBA gambling scandal gets even worse as a 5th co-conspirator is charged.    In our Final Final.... a cruise ship does something really unexpected.

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links-Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.0:00 Big Row Crop Rally3:04 The Funds5:12 Canada Tariffs?8:07 China Soybean Imports9:42 South America Update11:34 Grain ShipmentsCorn and Soybean Futures Rally AgainCorn and soybean futures continued their upward trend on Monday, with Mar25 corn contracts gaining 6 cents per bushel, marking its best close since June 18th. The rally from the August low to Monday's high saw a 72-cent increase, or about 18%. Meanwhile, Mar25 soybean contracts gained nearly 28 cents per bushel, achieving its best close since October 8th. From December's low to the overnight high, the contract rose by $1.10, or approximately 12%. These market movements reflect a tightening of US supply and demand, driven by bullish data from USDA last Friday.Trump's Tariffs on Canada to Include OilIn a major development, President-elect Donald Trump is planning to include oil in his tariffs on Canadian imports. The premier of Alberta confirmed the news after meeting with Trump over the weekend. Canada is expected to retaliate with its own tariffs, potentially restricting energy exports to the US. Alberta supplies nearly 4 million barrels per day of oil to the US, which could have significant implications for energy prices.China's Record Soybean Imports in 2024China has imported a record 105.03 million metric tons (mmt) of US soybeans in 2024, marking an increase of 6.5% from 2023. This surge in imports is attributed to concerns about potential US-China trade tensions under Trump's administration, along with favorable crush margins and declining soybean prices. Despite the surge, Chinese traders have diversified their suppliers and are preparing for possible disruptions due to potential trade wars. US soybean sales remain strong but may face challenges from oversupply and weak margins.Soybean Harvest Disrupted in Mato GrossoRainfall is impacting soybean harvest in Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest soybean-producing state. According to AgRural, the harvest pace is the slowest in seven years, although the state's soybean potential remains excellent with no quality issues reported. However, the delay could impact the second corn crop planting window, a concern for Brazil's corn producers. Meanwhile, southern Brazil continues to experience hot temperatures and a lack of rainfall, affecting soybean crops.US Export Sales Exceed ExpectationsUS export sales were strong last week. The USDA reported that 1.4mmt (57 million bushels) of corn were inspected for export, up 64% from the previous week and 51% higher than the same week last year. Soybean shipments also increased to 1.4mmt (50 million bushels), up 4.2% from the prior week and 5.5% from last year. Wheat shipments were reported at 288,895mt (11 million bushels), though slightly lower than the previous week. Additionally, US exporters sold 198,000mt (7 million bushels) of soybeans to China for delivery in the 2024/2025 marketing year.

Learn the most affectionate way of referring to your better half (the words for husband and wife) thanks to ShaoLan and four-time USA memory champion Nelson Dellis. ✨ BIG NEWS ✨ Our brand new Talk Chineasy App, is now live on the App Store! Free to download and perfect for building your speaking confidence from Day 1. portaly.cc/chineasy Visit our website for more info about the app.

Alex Newman is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American. He's co-author of Crimes of the Educators, author of Deep State: The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes and author of, Indoctrinating Our Children to Death. He's also the founder of Liberty Sentinel.The threats against the framework of America are very real, from without and also from within. Just look at the active sabotage taking place as some are trying to subvert the stated actions of President-elect Donald Trump. Then there are those attempting to collapse our constitutional republic with their attempts at socialism, mobocracy and lawlessness. Then there's the pressure to surrender our sovereignty to international bodies for reasons of so-called, global good, while behind such efforts lurks global control.While many may choose to hit the "snooze button" and surrender to such efforts, Alex has instead chosen to sound the alarm over what's taking place. Listen to this edition of Crosstalk and hear the proof as he delves into aspects of this topic that include China's cyber program, Chinese control of the Panama Canal, China's concerns over U.S. interests in Greenland, the North American union, Venezuela, Biden and illegal immigrants, what's going on with the deep state and much more.

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we look at recent Chinese export controls on critical minerals and entity listings of U.S. companies. We also weigh in on President Biden's blocking of the Nippon Steel acquisition of U.S. Steel and the recent controversy surrounding H1-B visas.

TikTok faces a ban if the Chinese controlled company Bytedance doesn't sell by the January 19th deadline.

In today's episode we're joined by Jose Minarro, managing director of cross-border operations at Sunset Transportation, to talk about developing partnerships in Mexico, staying compliant with customs regulations, and Mexico's recent decision to end ‘border skipping,' when bypassing tariffs on Chinese goods. Follow the Loaded and Rolling Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us in this eye-opening discussion with New York Times columnist David French as he dives deep into the current socio-political landscape. In this episode, we explore: Pete Hegseth's Nomination Controversy: Why is his confirmation stirring up such debate? Is he truly qualified to be Secretary of Defense, or is this a case of loyalty over competence? French provides his insider perspective on why this nomination might signal a radical shift in American politics. Texas Pornography Laws: David French breaks down the legal battle over age verification for accessing online pornography. Discover how these laws could reshape internet freedom and protect minors from the psychological impacts of explicit content. TikTok's National Security Risks: French explains the national security implications of TikTok's ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance. Could this platform be a tool for foreign influence in American culture and politics? Hear about the potential scenarios where this could become a real threat. Cultural Shifts and Extremism: From the backlash against 'woke' culture to the rise of anti-wokeness, French examines how these movements affect society, especially the youth, through the lens of current political and cultural trends. Don't miss out on these crucial insights into how technology, law, and politics are interwoven in today's world. Subscribe, like, and comment to join the conversation on these pivotal issues! Support "Matt Lewis & The News" at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattlewis Follow Matt Lewis & Cut Through the Noise: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattLewisDC Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattklewis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattklewis/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVhSMpjOzydlnxm5TDcYn0A – Who is Matt Lewis? – Matt K. Lewis is a political commentator and the author of Filthy Rich Politicians. Buy Matt's book: https://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Rich-Politicians-Creatures-Ruling-Class/dp/1546004416 This video is packed with SEO-friendly keywords like "David French," "TikTok security risks," "Pornography laws," "Pete Hegseth nomination," "cultural extremism," "anti-wokeness," "free speech," and "American politics." Copyright © 2024, BBL & BWL, LLC

Shoot us a Text.9 days to NADA and you can feel the anticipation around the social media halls. Today, we're talking about how the US Commerce Department is banning Chinese and Russian car hardware and software, Google's new automotive AI agent debuting in the Mercedes CLA and Target changing production timelines to match social media trends.Show Notes with links:The U.S. government has finalized a sweeping ban on the use of Chinese and Russian-made hardware and software in internet-connected vehicles to bolster national security and protect consumer privacy.The Commerce Department will ban Chinese and Russian connectivity hardware in 2030 models and driving software from 2027 models.Manufacturers tied to China and Russia are also prohibited from selling connected vehicles in the U.S.Commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, are not yet covered but will be addressed soon.Secretary Gina Raimondo stressed the ban as a measure to protect national security and American privacy. “This is a targeted approach to ensure we keep PRC and Russian-manufactured technologies off American roads,” Google Cloud has unveiled its Automotive AI Agent platform, debuting in the new Mercedes CLA. The advanced system promises seamless, conversational interactions tailored for driver with enhanced natural language processing.The next-gen MBUX Virtual Assistant has four “personality traits” (natural, predictive, personal, empathetic) and can ask clarifying questions to improve responses.Powered by Google's Gemini and Vertex AI, it offers real-time Google Maps updates, restaurant reviews, recommendations, and handles multi-turn dialogue.Older Mercedes models with MBUX Voice Assistant may receive updates incorporating ChatGPT and Bing, though without full conversational AI features.“This is just the beginning of how agentic capabilities can transform the automotive industry,” said Sundar Pichai, Google CEO.Target is speeding up its production process, slashing timelines from 27 weeks to just eight, to keep pace with consumer demands and trends driven by digital giants like Shein and Temu.Target's new model responds to rapidly shifting social media trends, aiming to match fast fashion's quick go-to-market strategies.For example, Target recently pivoted from decorative bows to cherry-themed holiday apparel, responding to consumer demand in time for the season.Innovations in supply chain and design allow Target to cut product development cycles by nearly 70%.“The next chapter in retail is going to be about innovation, newness, creativity,” said Rick Gomez, Target's Chief Commerce Officer.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

In this episode, Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg reflect on their experiences at CES, discussing the varying levels of AI integration and the prevalence of AI washing. They explore the future of robotics, emphasizing a turning point in humanoid robotics and the potential for AI to enhance these technologies. The conversation shifts to the advancements in AR/VR technologies, highlighting the impact of the Chinese ecosystem on innovation and affordability. Finally, they delve into the semiconductor investment landscape, stressing the importance of technical understanding in evaluating companies within this sector.

In this special episode of Takeaway Chinese, we're going to learn how to say "cheers" in Chinese.

Musk to the Rescue? Reports this morning indicate that the Chinese government is in talks with the Tesla chief over the sale of TikTok's U.S. operations. Plus, a critical week of hearings is on tap for the President-elect's cabinet picks. And later, one government agency is key to the relief effort in the California wildfires.

Based LA Times owner! Obama-Trump convo: Trump is open! Do most women think r— is s—y? Puberty and fatherlessness. I respect Zelensky.The Hake Report, Tuesday, January 14, 2025 ADTIMESTAMPS* (0:00:00) Start* (0:01:21) Moon race* (0:01:50) Topics: Trump vs Obama, all my black friends* (0:05:04) Hey, guys!* (0:06:40) News…* (0:09:24) Snoop Dogg is smart* (0:13:21) LA Times owner: Mistake to endorse Kamala* (0:17:41) CLIP, Tweet by Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong* (0:28:59) STEVEN, MD… White atrocities for WHM?* (0:31:56) STEVEN: White atrocities: WWII, Jesus; Chinese* (0:38:04) My first ankle monitor: white judge reassigned* (0:45:23) Obama-Trump "lip reading"* (0:54:26) Popcorn: Credit Obama, not Trump?! Grok!* (1:08:24) Destiny Stephanopoulos: Trump R—ist* (1:11:52) SCOTT, MA: Trump-Obama convo, vid tip!* (1:13:23) Women don't think r— is s—y! Yes, they do!* (1:14:42) CLIP: E Jean Carroll, Anderson Cooper* (1:19:18) Women dirtier, judgmental, believing imagination!* (1:22:44) Puberty hitting earlier! Fatherlessness?* (1:34:10) Trump vs Obama: "big club"? …* (1:36:00) Another victim: Actor Djimon Hounsou!* (1:45:00) Zelensky interview: Lex Fridman* (1:51:20) mewithoutYou - "Bullet to Binary" - 2002, [A→B] LifeLINKSBLOG https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2025/1/14/the-hake-report-tue-1-14-25PODCAST / Substack HAKE NEWS from JLP https://www.thehakereport.com/jlp-news/2025/1/14/hake-news-tue-1-14-25Hake is live M-F 9-11a PT (11-1CT/12-2ET) Call-in 1-888-775-3773 https://www.thehakereport.com/showVIDEO YouTube - Rumble* - Facebook - X - BitChute - Odysee*PODCAST Substack - Apple - Spotify - Castbox - Podcast Addict*SUPER CHAT on platforms* above or BuyMeACoffee, etc.SHOP - Printify (new!) - Spring (old!) - Cameo | All My LinksJLP Network:JLP - Church - TFS - Nick - Joel - Punchie Get full access to HAKE at thehakereport.substack.com/subscribe

From the BBC World Service: The BBC has found that workers in Chinese factories making clothes for the fast-fashion giant Shein are laboring more than 75 hours a week and earning less than $1 an item. This breaks the country’s labor laws and adds to concerns about working conditions at Shein. Also on the program: China has reported its largest-ever trade surplus, amounting to nearly $1 trillion last year.

On episode 391, we explore a handful of lesser known UFO incidents throughout the decades. From a mothership sighting over Offutt Air Force Base in 1958 to a daytime flying disc sighting over a Utah airport in 1961. From a spat of dramatic sightings throughout California to a dramatic chase between a Chinese fighter jet and a UFO. These are cases within the annals of UFO history that have been overlooked, but deserve just as much attention as some of the more famous cases out there.Co-researched by Marcus Lowth: www.ufoinsight.comBook Ryan on CAMEO at: https://bit.ly/3kwz3DOPatreon: http://www.patreon.com/somewhereskiesByMeACoffee: http://www.buymeacoffee.com/UFxzyzHOaQPayPal: Sprague51@hotmail.comDiscord: https://discord.gg/NTkmuwyB4FBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ryansprague.bsky.socialTwitter: https://twitter.com/SomewhereSkiesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/somewhereskiespod/Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Sprague51/Order Ryan's new book: https://a.co/d/4KNQnM4Order Ryan's older book: https://amzn.to/3PmydYCStore: http://tee.pub/lic/ULZAy7IY12URead Ryan's articles at: https://medium.com/@ryan-sprague51Opening Theme Song, "Ephemeral Reign" by Per KiilstofteProduced by LIONSGATECopyright © 2024 Ryan Sprague. All rights reservedSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/somewhere-in-the-skies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Holden is a distinguished Qigong master, author, and expert in meditation, Tai Chi, and traditional Chinese medicine. With over 25 years of experience, Lee has influenced the lives of thousands worldwide with his teachings on qigong and energy practices. His journey began following sports injuries, leading him to explore natural healing through these ancient practices. As the founder of Holden Qigong, he offers courses and workshops to help individuals unlock their healing potential and enhance their vitality and longevity. Lee hosts online classes and has authored numerous resources, making the transformative effects of qigong accessible to a broad audience.Episode Summary: Lee Holden shares his expertise, highlighting how qigong can help cultivate vitality and balance by harnessing the life force energy, also known as "chi," in our bodies.Listeners will gain an understanding of the differences between qigong and Tai Chi, while exploring how slowing down and being mindful can enhance productivity and efficiency. The episode also delves into how qigong practices can heighten sexual energy and intimacy, drawing parallels with similar practices like tantra. In addition, practical advice is provided to improve one's energy flow, manage stress, and interact meaningfully with nature, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between humans and trees. Tune in to learn about the essence of qigong and how it can transform your approach to life and wellness.Key Takeaways:Understanding Qigong: Learn about qigong as an energy practice that enhances vitality and longevity.Mind-Body Connection: Explore how the mind influences the body and how qigong can help manage stress and health.Slowing Down for Efficiency: Understand the benefits of slowing down in everyday life to boost productivity and create a flow state.Enhancing Sexual Energy: Discover how qigong principles can improve sexual energy and intimacy by focusing on energy exchange and mindfulness.Communing with Nature: Embrace practical tips on interacting with nature, particularly with trees, to balance and enhance your life force energy.Support our Sponsors who support the Transform Your Mind PodcastShopifyShopify makes it simple to create your brand, open for business, and get your first sale.Go to SHOPIFY.COM/transform to start selling with Shopify today.Wayfair●     Give your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. To advertise on our podcast, visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TransformyourMindor email kriti@youngandprofiting.com See this video on The Transform Your Mind YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@MyhelpsUs/videosTo see a transcripts of this audio as well as links to all the advertisers on the show page https://myhelps.us/Follow Transform Your Mind on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/myrnamyoung/Follow Transform Your mind on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063738390977Please leave a rating and review on iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/transform-your-mind/id1144973094

The BBC has heard allegations about working conditions at Shein. Some workers have claimed that they are working for more than 75 hours a week, which would contravene Chinese labour laws. We explore Shein's business model.Also in the programme: South Korea's spy agency gives new figures of North Korean soldier casualties in Ukraine; and the European island that celebrates New Year's Day in mid-January.(Photo: A shopper carries a bag while visiting Shein's Christmas bus tour, in Manchester, Britain, December 2024. Credit: REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja)

Free Transcript for Season 1 Episode 1-5  ************************************************************ Are you a fan of our podcast and hungry for more? Well, we've got a treat for you! By becoming a LCTS member, you'll gain exclusive access to our treasure trove of story and story explanation transcripts for both RealLife Chinese for Beginners and Learning Chinese through stories. Transcript Membership Did you know that you can practice your spoken Chinese with Rui & Simeng and other language enthusiasts ? Besides having exclusive access to the transcripts, you can also engage in spontaneous conversations with other learners where you can improve your Chinese speaking skills in a friendly, supportive environment. Join LCTS community and Speaking Chinese Now ************************************************************ Follow and subscribe for free Get the next episode as soon as it is available by following/subscribing it for free at Apple Podcast  Google Podcast Spotify

Last time we continued to speak about the Kumul Rebellion.. Ma Shaowu, appointed as Taoyin, executed rival Ma Fuxing and tightened anti-Soviet policies, responding to growing Soviet influence following Yang Zengxin's assassination in 1928. Kashgar became a refuge for conservative Turkic Muslims opposing Chinese authority, amidst a backdrop of rising tension with Tungan troops, perceived as oppressors. By 1931, as news of the Kumul Rebellion spread, resistance against the Han Chinese intensified, emboldening local insurgents to unite against their enemies. In May 1932, Jin sought vengeance against Tsetsen Puntsag Gegeen, the Torgut Mongol regent, hosting him under the guise of an investigation. At a banquet, Tsetsen was executed, igniting fury among the Turkic peoples. As the Kumul Rebellion grew, rebel leaders Ma Fuming and Ma Shihming united forces, launching assaults that devastated Chinese control. By March 1933, Ma Shaowu found his authority diminished, desperately appealing for British aid as rebellion spread, leaving Xinjiang in chaos.   #134 Kumul Rebellion part 3: A Game of Thrones in Southern Xinjiang Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. So we last left off in mid March, where Ma Shaowu's control over southern Xinjiang had diminished to just a wedge of territory around Kashgar, Maral Bashi and Yarkland. Morale was so low, Ma Shaowu asked the British Indian government for military assistance as it seemed apparent no help would come from Urumqi. Ma Shaowu had received 3 telegrams from Jin via the USSR lines; the first confirmed his position as Commander in Chief; the second relayed Jin's brother's death and the third directed Jin Kashgar representatives to remit a large sum of money to his personal bank account in Tientsin. That last signal must have been a banger to read. Despite reinforcements sent to Yarkland under Colonel Chin, rampant inflation went unchecked and a sense of panic spread amongst the Chinese officials stationed in the region. In response the Chinese officials began withdrawing into Yarkland New City which was fortified with walls being hurriedly repaired and reinforced. Apparently heavy stones were placed all atop the walls to be thrown upon the rebels and 500 dummy figures were placed on the walls to “give the impression of a well-manned rampart”. When you start making dummy's for a wall defense, you know you are going to die. On March 21st, insurgent forces at Tokhta Langar advanced upon Yarkland. Colonel Chin's men made no attempt to resist the rebels and instead looted Guma and fell back using little known hill track by passing Karghalik and Posgam, killing large numbers of Uyghur civilians for good measure in the process. The rebels advanced straight to Yarkland unnopposed seizing Karghalik and Posgam in the process. Within both places a number of Hindu moneylenders of British Indian nationality were slaughtered. Back in Yarkland New City the provincial forces continued to bolster their defenses. By late March a group of 150 Chinese troops who had fled the rebels at Khotan arrived with a further 300 showing up to the oasis on April 2nd. During this period Muslim insurgents had massed up along the east bank of Yarkland River. They looked ill-armed and untrained as they forced the river during the first week of April. On the 11th of April Yarkland Old City fell to a mixed rebel force from Khotan, Karghalik and Posgam, seeing roughly 100 Chinese who were still outside the fortified New City massacred. In the afternoon, the bazaar connecting the Old and New Cities of Yarkand was set ablaze and completely destroyed. The shops belonging to Chinese moneylenders were ravaged, and their belongings were looted, leading to a siege of Yarkand New City. On the 12, rebel forces moved beyond Yarkand towards Kok Rabat, a key point on the route to Kashgar. At the same time, additional insurgent reinforcements from Khotan began to pour into the Yarkand Oasis. So by April, Ma Shaowu's position was simply done for, his only hope was to reach an agreement with the incoming force led by Ma Chanzeng. He opened up negotiations with Ma Chanzeng through the British Consul General at Kashgar, Fitzmaurice. However Ma Chanzeng could not speak for his Uyghur ally Temur, whom he was having issues with. To make matters worse, the Kirghiz levies began to mutiny on April 5th at Sughun Karaul, a Chinese fortified post roughly 65 miles northwest of Kashgar. This was followed by peasant uprisings amongst the Uyghurs at Artush and Fayzabad. Facing this Ma Shaowu ordered Brigadier Yang and the troops at Maral Bashi to fall back to Kashgar. Before departing Maral Bashi Yans troops burned and looted the town after which “They set out on their way to Kashgar with a large number of carts laden with refugees or loot or both; but this proved to be the last straw. The troops made slow progress, and in the meantime the whole countryside, incensed beyond endurance, rose against the Chinese. A bridge was broken at Kara Yulgun and, while the column was halted, it was set upon by a vast horde of rebels”. Karma is a bitch as they say. Brigadier Yang was wounded during the ambush and taken prisoner by rebels. Of his original force of around 1000, its estimated only 65 men limped back to Kashgar by the 27th of april. Meanwhile the main bulk of the Kirghiz mutineers advanced to Artush by April 15th from whence they menaced Kashgar as other Kirghiz groups attacked Kizil Oi and Ulugh Chat and demolish Chinese pots at Bulun Kul. With the dissolvement of Brigadier Yangs forces from Maral Bashi, Kashgar was completely vulnerable and isolated. Ma Shaowu, was probably very anxious to reach an agreement with Ma Chanzeng, but still took the precaution of preparing for a siege. As the Chinese were soiling themselves awaiting the rebel attacks, suddenly a divide emerged between the Tungan and Turkic factions. It appeared Ma Chanzeng had become concerned over reports of Uyghur insurgents rising up in Khotan, who owed him no loyalty. So he decided to reach an agreement with Ma Shaowu. Ma Shaowu agreed to allow Tungan power to be established at Kashgar, the military and economic key to southern Xinjiang. Ma Chanzeng dispatched a message via the British Consul general at Kashgar offering assurance that the sole objective of the Tungan forces in Xinjiang was to overthrow the tyrannical Jin Shujen and his reforms. Thus having seemingly distanced himself from the Turkic speaking Muslims of the south, whose apparent goal was to fully succeed from the Chinese Republic, Ma Chanzeng and Temur advanced to Kashgar.  Back over in Kashgar Old City, Turkic speaking nationalists calling themselves the Young Kashgar Party or “YKP” had become suspicious of Ma Chanzeng's motives and believed perhaps there was collusion between Gansu Tungans and Ma Shaowu. The Uyghurs feared this would lead to Tungan domination of Kashgar and the replacement of Han Chinese tyrants for Tungan tyrants. 7 leading members of the YKP set out from Kashgar to persuade Ma Chanzeng that Ma Shaowu would betray him. They met at Fayzabad with Uthman Ali, the leader of the Kirghiz mutineers present. Upon hearing their plea, Ma Chanzeng asked Uthman Ali to lead the Kirghiz to attack Kashgar Old City. Early on May 2nd, Uthman Ali led a large Kirghiz force against the Old city and according to the eye witness account of the British Consul General “They took up positions opposite each of the four gates of the city and at the same time sent parties to call up the country people Uyghurs. These appeared from all sides in thousands, armed with clubs and sticks, and there was a great display of enthusiasm ... Firing continued until about two in the afternoon, when the Kirghiz either forced an entry or were admitted by the Tushik Gate'. Most of the non-Chinese garrison simply joined the rebels. At the yamen, Ma Shaowu and his personal bodyguard continued to hold out as the Kirghiz secured the Old City, but notably prevented the Uyghurs from looting and ordered them back to their villages. The reason for this unexpected restraint became clear the next day, when the Kirghiz were left in sole possession of the Old City, and who proceeded to sack it themselves. The British Consul General estimated 100 Chinese were killed and their looted property was carried off or auctioned on the street. During the afternoon around 300 Uyghurs led by Temur arrived at Kashgar and were admitted into the Old City without any question by the Kirghiz, followed by the Tungans with Ma Chanzeng. Both forces marched to the walls of Kashgar New City, roughly 2.5 miles distant and after negotiations with the Chinese defenders were allowed entrance. The British Consul General had this to say of the moment “It was probably better to surrender to the Tungans than to be slaughtered by the Kirghiz”. With the fall of Kashgar New City, Han Chinese power in southern Xinjiang, excluding the besieged garrison of Yarkland New City was effectively brought to an end.  On May 7th, Ma Chanzeng realized the YKP had misled him and that Temur was under their influence and thus no longer a reliable ally. After the capture of Kashgar Old City, it seems the Kirghiz began negotiating with Temur over the spoils of their victory and made zero attempt to loot the Old City Yamen where Ma Shaowu was holding out. Ma Shaowu would make a invaluable ally against the Turkic nationalists who controlled Old city and much of southern Xinjiang. Thus Ma Chanzeng began secretly negotiating with Ma Shaowu. As a result the next day, Ma Chanzengs men put up notices announcing that the Taoyin and other officials of the former regime should retain their official posts. This obviously pissed off the Turkic Muslims who did now share the same loyalty to the Chinese Republic as the Tungans. The Kirghiz immediately manned the walls and closed the gates of the Old City, preparing to face the Tungans. At this point Ma Shaowu defused the situation temporarily by resigning as Taoyin and handed the officials seals over to Ma Chanzeng. Ma Chanzeng did not take the title of Taoyin, but certainly controlled the Old City Yamen and New City, keeping Ma Shaowu close and protected. It seems Ma Chanzengs strategy was to try and drive a wedge between Uthman Ali's Kirghiz and Temurs Uyghurs before a unified Turkic alliance could form, perhaps one that even incorporated Khotan forces. He was of course concerned with limiting the influence of the YKP who seemed to be as anti-Tungan as they were anti-Chinese. On the 10th he ordered the arrest of the most prominent YKP leader, Abd al-Rahim Bay Bachcha, who was released only after agreeing to supply the Tungan forces with 1000 uniforms at his own expense. Following this, Ma Chanzeng seized Temur who had just been proclaimed commander in chief of the combined Muslim armies at Kashgar. Temuar was invited to a meeting at the Old City Yamen on the 17th where he was placed under arrest. Had Ma Chanzeng managed to transfer his captive into the New City, he may have succeeded in his plans. But he did not have enough men to man both the Old and New Cities and when he tried to block the Uyghurs and Kirghiz from rescuing Temur they simply stormed the city walls.  With the failure to secure Temur, Ma Chanzeng had basically revealed to the Turkic Muslims and confirmed the claims of the YKP that he intended to set up a Tungan regime in Kashgar. On May 18th the pissed of Kirghiz mounted a surprise attack on the Old City. They avoided the yamen where Ma Chanzeng and Ma Shaowu remained, as Tungan forces there were heavily armed with artillery and machine guns, but murdered any other Tungans they found in the Old City. Fighting went on throughout the day and night. As a result of the Kirghiz attack, Ma Chanzeng agreed to hand control over Kashgar to Temur and Uthman Ali. On the 19th a very inconclusive treaty was signed seeing Temur confirmed as the Commander in Chief and Uthman Ali promoted to General in command of Kirghiz forces. Ma Chanzeng was given no official position, but retained control of the TUngan troops and on the 22nd accompanied by all of them withdrew from the yamen to Kashgar New City. Meanwhile Ma Chanzengs Tungan chief of staff, Su Qinzhou and Yunus Beg, a Uyghur of Kumul were appointed joint Taoyin of Kashgar and Ma Shaowu was permitted to take up residence in a nearby country house under protection from both Temur and Chanzeng.  The truce was followed awkward and uneasy peace with the Tungans controlling New City and the Turking speaking Muslims the Old City and Taoyins yamen. Fitzmaurice went on to state “that 'Ma Chanzeng, Temur and Uthman Ali all settled down to the congenial business of accumulating wealth and wives, whilst the YKP continued its intrigues against the Tungans, organized a 'parliament' of forty members, subsequently greatly expanded, and sent two delegates to Khoja Niyas Hajji, the leader of the Uighur rebels at Kumul”.  By this point it seemed Temur had fallen completely under the influence of the YKP and began issuing passports styling himself as “Temur Shah”. These documents also employed the Islamic Hijri date and not the Chinese Republic date, thwarting Nanjing's authority.  Over in the southern rim of the Tarim Basin, an are untroubled by the Tungan invasion and free from the Kirghiz movement, Khotan had emerged as a center of exclusive Uyghur control. Ismail Khan Khoja, the leader of the gold miner rebels of Karakash was soon eclipsed by the Uyghur nationalist committee for national revolution, known as the CNR, who was founded in Khotan in early 1932 by Muhammad Amin Bughra. Muhammad Amin Bughra was a scholar in his 30's and alongside his two younger brothers, Abdullah and Nur Ahmad, with some friends and fellow students began the movement. In early 1933 this group was joined by Abd al-Baqi Sabit Damullah, a teacher and former Qadi, that being an islamic judge from Kulja who had traveled extensively through the USSR, Turkey, Egypt and India. According to Muhammad Amin Bughra, “Sabit Damullah brought political information and experience to the Khotanlik Committee for National Revolution”. They were only 300 members who possessed nothing more than 50 antiquated rifles. Their political philosophy, like that of the YKP was uncompromising, they were nationalists who were extremely anti-communist, anti-christian, anti-tungan and anti-Han. The CNR favored the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in Xinjiang, with Muhammad AMin Bughra as its head of state. Muhammad Amin Bughra was working in Khotan as a mudarris, or teacher at Quranic college when an uprising began in February of 1933 in Karakash and Surghak. On the 20th of February the CNR leadership met and formed a provisional government with Muhammad Niyas Alam as president, Sabit Damullah as Prime Minister and Muhammad Amin Bughra as commander of the armed forces. Muhammad Amin Bughra also took the title “Amir al-islam” while his younger brothers took “Amir Abdullah khan” and “Amir Nur Ahmad Jan”. In most sources the rise of the CNR provisional government is referred to as the Government of the Khotan Amirs. Their new government was religiously intolerant, as a result when Khotan New City was captured on March 16th, the 266 or so Han Chinese there were forcibly converted to Islam. Following that, the Hindu moneylenders were murdered and the Swedish missionaries were exiled. Shari a law was implemented under the CNR with strict application of hadd criminal legislation. Between March and April the regime was reinforced by Janib Beg, a well known Basmachi leader who fled the USSR to reside in the Keriya Oasis under Ma Shaowu's control. Janib Beg made common cause with the Amirs and given his extensive military experience during the Basmachi struggle was placed in charge of a large body of Khotanlik rebel forces.  After they secured the Khotan Oasis, the Amirs began expanding their influence east towards Lop Nor and west towards Kashgar. In response to a appeal from the Uyghurs of Charchan who were resisting their Tungan liberators, a force of 100 Khotanliks came to guard against the Kara Shahr Tungan who were occupying the Charkhlik Oasis. Meanwhile in the west, Khotanlik forces captured Guma, Karghalik, Posgam and Yarkland Old City by early April. During the fight for Yarkland New City, over 2000 Han Chinese and Tungans were besieged by their forces. On the 24th, Amir Badullah Khan arrived to Yarkland to personally oversee the siege of its New City. According to Fitzmaurice, the Khotanlik forces had organized a military band, were doning red uniforms in stark contrast to the Tungan troops of Ma Chanzeng who wore green. Amir Badullah was greeted with a large ceremony as Turking speaking officials who had previously served under the Han Chinese were dragged through the streets in chains. On the 27th Amir Abdullah ordered the Swedish missionaries in Yarkland to be arrested and brought to him. We are told “Abdullah kicked and beat them himself, announcing that by their teaching the missionaries had destroyed the religion of Islam, and that it was therefore his duty to kill them'. The poor Swe's were only saved from a firing squad by the intervention of some British officials, instead they were exiled. Afterwards Abdullah focused his attention upon the siege of Yarkland New City. He ordered the water supply cut and for tunnels to be made to breach the walls. On the 27th three delegates from Ma Shaowu came to Yarkland and attempted to negotiate with Abdullah. Abdullahs response was to shoot a prisoner in their presence in what he called “a method of bringing them to a proper state of mind”. Then Abdullah sent them into the besieged New City to inform its defenders that their lives and property would be spared if they simply agreed to convert to Islam and lay down their arms. The besieged Han Chinese led by Colonel Qin, hastily agreed to the terms and on May 12th prepared to surrender. Shortly before this date however, the first Tungan and Turkic speaking troops, fresh from their victory at Kashgar arrived. Believing victory was well within his grasp, Abdullah became openly hostile with the Tungans and made it clear the newcomers were not appreciated. Faced with Khotanlik hostility, the small but well armed Tungans who owed their allegiance to Ma Chanzeng, and through him to Ma Chongying, entered the New City and strengthened its Tungan elements against the Khotanliks. Abdullah was shocked by this revelation and his hostility also had the effect of hardening the Chinese Muslim troops. They even sortied on May 18th briefly attacking and capturing the Altin and Khanqah gates of Yarkland Old City, setting fire to the surrounding areas before pulling back to New City. The Uyghur troops of Aksu and Kashgar led by Hafiz, a subordinate of Temur seemed to be keeping a neutral stance until the 22nd when news of the Tungan-Turkic conflict at Kashgar reached them. Following this, the two Turkic speaking armies at Yarkland cooperated in the siege of the New City. Despite the cooperation, Hafiz and Abdullah remained bitter rivals. Facing the united Turkic attack and realizing there would be no relief efforts from Kashgar, the Chinese of Yarkland New City surrendered on the 26th taking the original terms Abdullah had given them back on the 12th. The surrender would be incomplete however as the Tungans insisted on retaining their weapons and being allowed to go to Kashgar. The victorious Uyghurs and Kirghiz took 540 rifles from the Chinese and divided the spoils. However the men under Hafiz notably took the best quality rifles out of the pickings.  The defeated Chinese and defiant Tungans were divided into two groups roughly 1000 each and given permission to go to Kashgar. Neither party would reach its destination unmolested however. The first column, made up mostly of Tungan cavalry, was attacked and cut to pieces near Kizil. What became known as the Kizil Massacre was performed by a group of Kirghiz who owed their allegiance to Uthman Ali. Following the Kizil massacre, the Kirghiz irregulars entered Yangi Hissar where they killed all the Han Chinese and Tungans they could find. The second column was attacked and looted before they even got out of Yarkland, but did not undergo a massacre. When news came of the Kazil and Yangi Hissar massacrs to Kashgar, Su Qinzhou, the Tungan joint Taoyin departed the Old City Yamen to protest the killing of fellow Tungans and joined Ma Chanzeng in Kashgar New City. On May 31st, the Uyghurs of Aksu rose up and expelled the few Muslim Chinese that remained in their Oasis. The Taoyin that had been appointed by Ma Chanzeng and therefore was considered too pro-Tungan was removed from his post and replace by the leader of the Aksu insurgents, a Uyghur named Ismail Beg whose loyalty belongs to the anti-tungan Khotan Amirs.  The fall of Yarkland New City, massacre at Kizil and Yangi Hissar had not just signaled the final collapse of Han Chinese authority in southern Xinjiang, but also the alienation of Chinese speaking Muslims from their Turkic speaking neighbors. By the summer of 1933, the political power struggle in the south was now between the Uyghur and Kirghiz factions led by Amir Muhammad Amin Bughra at Khotan and the Tungan forces of Ma Chanzeng at Kashgar New City. Excluding Ma Chanzeng's forces the struggle over southern Xinjiang was more or less fought between the rival Turkic speaking Muslim factions at Khotan and Kashgar. Following the fall of Yarkland New City on the 26th of May, Temurs representative Hafiz attempted to conciliate with the Khotan Amirs, who were not happy their side got the less impressive rifles when they distributed the loot. Hafiz strengthened his forces then estimated to be 400 Uyghurs from Aksu and Kashfar, by conscripting another 200 Dunlanis from Merket.  Discovering this, the Amirs transferred command over their Yarkland forces to the youngest brother, Nur Ahmad Jan, while Abdullah set out for Kashgar at the head of 2000 Khotanliks. This action seems to be done to place pressure upon Temur. Meanwhile another force of 1000 Khotanliks under the Basmachi Janib Beg arrived at Kashgar on June 11th. Janib Beg's arrival with his poorly armed troops caused uproar amongst the local Turkic speaking leadership and Soviet Consulate General who feared the anti-Soviet Basmachi leader would swing the ongoing revolution to the right. Janib Beg immediately established his HQ at the garden of the Turkic nationals Abd Al-Rahim Bay Bachcha, raising the old spectre of an alliance forming between the Khotan AMirs and YKP, elements of whom were currently in favor of cooperating with the USSR. On July 4th, the Khotanlik presence was substantially increased by the arrival of Amir Abdullah, who brought over Prime Minister Sabit Dammulah and Shaykh al-Islam. Although Abdullahs forces were numerous, they were very ill-equipped. British reports indicate about 300 of them were armed with Russian rifles while another 300 had antiquated muzzle loaders and the rest bore Chumaq or heavy clubs. Nevertheless they posed a threat to both Uthman Ali and Temur, neither of whom sought to share the large stocks of food, money and arms they had looted in Kashgar New City. Temur made an elaborate show of welcoming Abdullah, installing him at the garden between the Old and New Cities pending more suitable arrangements.  Meanwhile at Yarkland, negotiations between Hafiz and Nur Ahmad Jan continued. Hafiz on behalf of Temur claimed territories of the Yarkland River, including Yarkland Old and New City, while Nur Ahmad Jan on behalf of the Khotan Islamic Government countered with claiming Kashgar and Maral Bashi. After a couple of incidents between the two armies, Nur Ahmad Jan took action against a number of Yarkandlik Begs who had petitioned Hafiz to intervene on their behalf. All the offenders were executed with their severed heads and displayed in public to antagonize Hafiz. When news of this reached Temur at Kashgar he was royally pissed and decided to make a move against the Khotanlik forces at Kashgar. Temur sought the support of his Kirghiz ally Uthman Ali, stressing the threat the Amir's would make to his position and bought off numerous other Kirghiz leaders. By mid-July, Uthman and his Kirghiz cavalry prepared to return to the mountains above Kashgar lulling the Khotanlik's into a false sense of security. Then suddenly on the morning of July 13th, Temur sent a force of 750 men to arrest Janib Beg. Abdullah was informed of this and sent 100 of his men to help Janib Beg, but they arrived too late and found themselves likewise arrested.  Following this minor success against Janib Beg, Temur and Thman Ali coordinated their efforts against Abdullah. They managed to corner and arrest him while disarming a large number of his troops. Realizing he was in imminent danger of getting arrested as well, al-islam Sabit Damullah fled for Artush, but was caught and quickly brought back to the Old City Yamen. During these actions casualties were quite light for both sides. On the night of July 13th, Abdullah and Sabit Damullah were placed under house arrest at the gardens, while Janib Beg was kept under close arrest. Now the new balance of power in southern Xinjiang had been held at a conference in Kashgar Old City on July 4th, attended by all the prominent Muslim leaders except Janib Beg and Ma Chanzeng. At the meeting it was agreed that the entire Yarkland Oasis should be transferred to Temurs control, while the Khotan Islamic government would be on the east bank of the Yarkland River. When news of this agreement reached Yarkland however, panic set in amongst the Khotanlik troops who had been ordred to withdraw from Yarkland New City by Hafiz. Hafiz moved quickly to exploit the situation, sending 200 men to hold the ferries across the Yarkland River to cut off the Khotanlik retreat. He arrested Nur Ahmad Jan and disarmed hundreds of his troops in the process. Nur Ahmad Jan was imprisond in Yarkland Old City, just as his brother Abdullah was in Kashgar. Shortly after this, in violation of the agreements made as Kashgar, Hafiz sent his forces across the Yarkland River into the territory of the Khotan government and captured the town of Karghalik on July 20th.  The major reverses of the Khotan Amirs followed closely with the withdrawal of Ma Chanzeng's Tungan forces to Kashgar New City, leaving the victorious Uyghur leader Temur and Kirghiz leader Uthman Ali well placed to expand their political control over the whole of western Tarim Basin. Such a feat could have been possible, if both leaders were capable of cooperating against the besieged Tungans. Uthman Ali, now taking the name Amir Al-Muslimin “prince of the believers” and Ghazi “holy warrior” was keen to attack Ma Chanzeng, whom he had personal quarrels. Temur on the other hand was not keen on full scale war against his former ally. Thus Uthman Ali withdrew from Kashgar to the hills on July 18th. Shortly after his departure, on the 26th a party of Khoja Niyas Hajjis officers, accompanied by 30 Kumullik soldiers arrived at Kashgar and presented Temur with an official seal and letter recognising his position as Commander in Chief of Kashgar. Its alleged, Khoja Niyas Hajji's delegates pressured Temur to attack Ma Chanzeng's forces in Kashgar New City. But Temur still did not want to do so, but agreed to invite Uthman Ali back to Kashgar to possibly perform joint operations against the besieged New City. Uthman Ali came back, but by August 8th, he departed again as Temur proved too reluctant to act. It seems Temur may have seen the situation as an ideal one to eliminate his Kirghiz ally and emerge the sole Turkic speaking Muslim commander in Kashgar. In any case he secretly formed an agreement with Ma Chanzeng and sent a large part of his army to pursue and disarm Uthman Ali and his Kirghiz forces. How Temurs Uyghur irregular infantry would overtake disarming mounted Kirghiz troops is anyone's guess. On August 9th, Temur left Kashgar Old City by car to see how his men were faring. Shortly after a force of 500 Tungans rapidly overran the ill defended Old City. Temur had made a fatal mistake. He was intercepted by Ma Chanzengs men on his way back to the Old City, where he was arrested and shot without ceremony. His head was cut off and placed on a spike outside the Id-gat Mosque in Kashgar Old City. Its like game of thrones in Xinjiang isnt it? As a result of slaying Temur, the Uyghur forces were left leaderless. Both Janib Beg and Abdullah took advantage of the chaos and escaped prison, fleeing southeast towards Yarkland. Ma Shaowu likewise slipped away from his house arrest, fleeing to Ma Chanzeng. The Tungans made zero effort to garrison the Old City, but disarmed and plundered its arsenal. On August 13th, Uthman Ali returned to Kashgar and sent a message to Ma Chanzeng asking his Kirghiz forces be given a share of the weapons taken from Temurs men. Ma Chanzeng refused to comply, so the Kirghiz forces attacked Old city, capturing it easily by the 16th. During the battle Uthman Ali's younger bother Umar was killed alongside 150 Kirghiz when they failed to attack the walls of New City. After taking Old City, Uthman Ali assumed Temurs title as Commander in Chief of the Turkic speaking forces at Kashgar. But he did not enjoy the full support of the Uyghurs and his Kirghiz had no hunger to attack the walls of New City, eager to return to their lands in Tien Shan. Then two new and unexpected things happened. On the 26th of August, a Syrian Arab adventurer named Tawfiq Bay arrived at Kashgar. He was a charismatic character, claiming to be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and had served for a time as an official under King Abd Al Aziz ibn-saud and a man who had formal military training and experience. Two days later the representatives of Khoja Niyas Hajji, arrived as a Kumullik delegation. They soon rallied the dispirited Turkic speaking forces in Kashgar Old City and urged them to renew their attack against Ma Chanzeng. Uthman Ali and his Kirghiz forces thus renewed their attack, aided by the Uyghurs who were rallied under Tawfiq Bay.  Meanwhile on the southern front Hafiz had found out about Temurs death, thus he halted his advance against the Khotanlik forces and returned to Yarkland New City. At the same time Abdullah reappeared in Yarkland taking command of the undefended Old City. From this new base he rallied the disorganized Khotanlik forces still in Karghalik and began a siege of Yarkland New City, still held by Hafiz with a mixed force number 600 Uyghurs and Dulanis. Meanwhile both Tawfiq Bay and the representatives of Khoja Niyas Hajji at Kashgar sent messengers to the Amirs stressing the need for joint Turkic actions against the Tungans, and appealed for a cease-fire between Hafiz and Abdullah in Yarkland. On September 26, Yarkland New City opened its gates to the Khotanlik forces of Hafiz and allowed the Uyghurs of Aksu and Kashgar to leave the oasis disarmed, but unharmed. Following this Abdullah assumed control over Yarkland, while Nur Ahmad Jan advanced at the head of a large force to Yangi Hissar to take control over its fortified citadel. The Khotan Islamic government still led by Amir Muhammad Amin Bughra from Khotan was thus extended west to the fringes of Kashgar and upon invitation from Tawfiq Bay, the Khotanlik Prime Minister and Al-Islam Sabit Damullah, negotiated the formation of a unified Turkic speaking Muslim alliance in southern Xinjiang. The alliance was one of necessity as the Tungan forces of Ma Chanzeng were tossing back attacks by the combined forces of Taqfiq Bay and Uthman Ali with ease. On September 7th, the Tungans sortied from New City and devastated their enemy at the village of Sekes Tash, killing 200 Uyghurs and Kirghiz. Tawfiq Bay and Uthman Ali soon received reinforcements, including Hafiz and his 500 troops, 300 additional Uyghur recruits from Aksu under a officer named Idris and a rather mysterious force of 300 Andijani Uzbeks under the command of Satibaldi Jan, a 25 year old Uzbek from Soviet Uzbekistan. With this mixed and ill armed force they all tried to pressure Ma Chanzeng, but it was still to no avail. Attempts to mine the New City walls all ended in failure as did attempts to starve them out. Uthman Ali's Kirghiz and local Uyghurs began to run into conflicts, as the Kirghiz felt they were bearing the brunt of the fighting. Soon some Kirghiz had 3 Uyghurs executed in Old City for “filling cartridges with sand instead of power”. Other Uyghurs were hung publicly outside the Id-gah Mosque for selling food to the besieged Tungans. Support for the siege wavered and by late September morale was so low, the local authorities stopped issuing passports to stop a exodus from the Oasis. Then on the 26th, Tawfiq Bay was seriously injured and could no longer lead from the front. Uthman Ali then resigned from his post as commander in chief on October 2nd in shame, fleeing to the hills, followed closely by Satibaldi and other local leaders. A power vacuum in Kashgar opened up and was filled by Sabit Damullah, the Prime Minister of the Khotan Islamic Government. Thus in the end, with the exception of the Tungans held up in Kashgar New City, the Khotan Amirs now dominated southern Xinjiang. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In what can only be described as a form of Game of Thrones in Southern Xinjiang, numerous groups fought together, then against each other, then together, until one was king of the hill. The Tungans still clung onto Kashgar New City, but with the Khotan Amirs at the reigns, could they take it all?   

*JOIN US LIVE EVERY MONDAY 11 MST or join our Rewatch Crew*Not sure if you heard but Christine is GETTING MARRIEDDDDDDD! HALLELUJAH this storyline, which has been similar to Chinese water torture to watch, has finally reached its conclusion, and we have EARNED IT. Meanwhile, Meri tests Jenn and Blair's patience as they decorate for Halloween at the Inn (cue BOB), because even these two friends have their limits of the forced laughter, and Kody and Robyn participate in a 3 Stooges-esque tree "felling" activity. Enjoy!!!Snark and sarcasm is highly encouraged as we see what our favorite family is up to, as well as a dip into the latest pop culture news and highlights. Subscribe on YouTube, Patreon, and your favorite podcast app!Please like and subscribe on Youtube!Check out patreon.com/podandthecity for bonus content!Join our private Facebook Group "We Love to Hate TV"Coming up this week on Patreon:WE LOVE TO HATE TV*Tier 1+: Come Dine With Me S37 E1 "East Oxfordshire"*Tiers 2+: Sister Wives S12 E8 "The Truth Comes Out" (part 2)TOTAL REQUEST PODCASTCome Dine With Me S37 E1 "East Oxfordshire"GIRL DINNEREpisode 25 "AITA: A Trip Down the Reddit HOLE" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the week in markets, equities research analyst Jen-Ai Chua highlights how stronger-than-​expected non-farm payrolls data for December has pushed up Treasury yields, resulting in a yawning gap in US and Chinese government bond yields. This has put downward pressure on the Chinese Yuan – although it is not the only currency in Asian expected to soften. The Singapore Dollar, hitherto one of the stronger currencies in Asia, is also likely to weaken this year as inflation ebbs. US consumer and producer price inflation data out this week, and Q4 2024 earnings releases by financial heavyweights will likely determine if the US equity market can trek higher. 

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links-Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.

TikTok is just days away from being banned from operating in the US if it doesn't sell its American operations to a non-Chinese owner. Justin has a theory of what could possibly save TikTok. Plus the outgoing Biden administration has proposed an ““Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion” Monday that would keep high performance GPUs used in AI servers out of China. And fire watch app Duty Watch has seen a spike in users as fires blaze across Los Angeles county. Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Justin Robert Young, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!

China, a vast country with an incredibly rich history. It is shaping the world we live in, ShaoLan and Transition singer Jesse explore the etymology of the word China and some of the highlights of Jesse's touring there. ✨ BIG NEWS ✨ Our brand new Talk Chineasy App, is now live on the App Store! Free to download and perfect for building your speaking confidence from Day 1. portaly.cc/chineasy Visit our website for more info about the app.

A lot of you have been worried about all of China's investments in Latin America. I get that it might sound a little scary, but you need to put these actions into the broader context of China's circumstances.Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihanFull Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/bring-on-the-chinese-investments-in-latam

For part two of our overview of this year's energy forecast we are covering the remaining six animals of the Chinese zodiac for Year of the Wood Snake, as well as what you can expect based on your birth year animal's relationship to the Snake.We cover:-The Snake as a symbol of transformation and healing-The softness of Yin in a Wood year-3 Feng shui tips for every one to do in the Year of the Wood Snake-Why those born in the year of the Horse may want to take a page from the Snake's book and slow down-The soft, earthy nature of the Ram and how it will be supported this year-The year of the Snake is auspicious for those born in the year of the Monkey-The natural harmony that occurs between the Rooster and the Snake-The loyalty of the dog being a good match for the Snake-Why those born in the year of the Pig may have a challenging year aheadMentioned in this episode:-Welcoming the Year of the Snake for Each Zodiac Animal, Part 1-2025 Feng Shui Amulet for Protection & Luck-What to do with your feng shui amulets from years pastThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERENEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Time stamps for the episode:-[01:58] Three feng shui tips for everyone-[06:33] The meaning of yin wood-[12:02] The Horse-[13:25] The Ram-[15:23] The Monkey-[17:10] The Rooster-[19:08] The Dog-[20:15] The PigORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE

The new Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, defeated the Hezbollah backed candidate, , the former caretaker prime minister. We find out what this could mean a new dawn for its embattled economy.China has reported its biggest-ever trade surplus, just a week before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who's promised to impose tariffs on Chinese goods.Cost-of-living pressures have overtaken climate change and the environment as the number one concern for young Australians.

Welcome to the Powerhouse Feng Shui Podcast with your host, Patricia Lohan!

Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leadership: Thriving in Changing Times with Jason SteinOur guest on the podcast today is Jason Stein, L.Ac, who combines 25+ years of expertise in Acupuncture, Wellness, and Coaching to empower leaders. He pioneered one of the first integrative medicine programs in a U.S. hospital and taught Practitioners and Executives business strategies. Now based in Oregon's Wallowa Mountains, Jason runs Wallowa Ave Wellness and Wellness Renegades, helping leaders achieve balance and success. His work bridges clinical knowledge with business strategy, fostering resilience and growth.In today's conversation, we explore the intersections of wisdom, wellness, and leadership in today's ever-evolving world. In this episode, titled "Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leadership," we consider how integrating ancient philosophies and modern strategies brings great workplace benefits.Jason shares his personal journey from a conventional business student to a transformative acupuncturist and executive coach. He lays bare his experiences of building his own resilience and highlights the critical need for soft skills, communication, and collaboration in fostering meaningful change within organizational life. Through his teachings and adventures, including a recent shift towards executive coaching and a joint wellness center venture in Oregon, Jason emphasizes the philosophy of "together is better." He draws compelling parallels between acupuncture's holistic approach and its application in business, advocating for a balance between profitability and the well-being of individuals.We also talk about the ethical use of AI, building resilient communities, and fostering environments where personal and professional growth can flourish. If you're a changemaker seeking to integrate more balance and energy into your leadership practices, this episode is for you. Join us as we uncover timeless wisdom to navigate modern challenges and craft a future rooted in connection, health, and shared success.Key TakeawaysJason's personal story of bankruptcy that he shares so vulnerablyHow technology is a tool for connection and freedom.What to do to build resilience when your intrinsic value is challenged by societal pressures and negative feedbackEthical and conscious use of AI as a supportive business tool.Strategies for integrating health and well-being in corporate environments.Insights for leaders from Chinese medicine, such as "liver yang rising."Episode Resources:Jason's WebsiteJason's Linkedin ProfileJason's Executive CoachingSacredChangemakers.comOur Sacred CommunityJayne Warrilow on LinkedinThank you to our sponsors:A huge thank you to our Inner Circle members, podcast sponsors, and extended Sacred Changemakers community, all of whom are visible on our website and helping us make a global impact aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.If you would like to support our show:Please rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and other podcast platforms. We would be SO...

** Chinese Whispers is nominated in the Political Podcast Awards 2025. Vote for it to win the People's Choice category here ** Among the casualties of Donald Trump's trade war with China in his first presidency was the telecoms giant Huawei. Founded by former military engineer Ren Zhengfei, the company is a world-leading manufacturer of everything from telecoms equipment to smartphones. But it fell foul of the Trump administration as it tried to become integral to the world's rollout of 5G, leading to a backlash in the West and even the house arrest of Ren's daughter. At the centre of the row is a suspicion that Huawei is essentially a state-owned company, working at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party. So as Trump prepares to go back to the White House, this episode tries to get to the bottom of the telecoms giant. Is it an arm of the Chinese state? How has it found such world dominating success? Can it survive a second Trump presidency? Cindy Yu speaks to Eva Dou, technology reporter for the Washington Post. Her new book is the House of Huawei: Inside the Secret World of China's Most Powerful Company.

** Chinese Whispers is nominated in the Political Podcast Awards 2025. Vote for it to win the People's Choice category here ** Among the casualties of Donald Trump's trade war with China in his first presidency was the telecoms giant Huawei. Founded by former military engineer Ren Zhengfei, the company is a world-leading manufacturer of everything from telecoms equipment to smartphones. But it fell foul of the Trump administration as it tried to become integral to the world's rollout of 5G, leading to a backlash in the West and even the house arrest of Ren's daughter. At the centre of the row is a suspicion that Huawei is essentially a state-owned company, working at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party. So as Trump prepares to go back to the White House, this episode tries to get to the bottom of the telecoms giant. Is it an arm of the Chinese state? How has it found such world dominating success? Can it survive a second Trump presidency? Cindy Yu speaks to Eva Dou, technology reporter for the Washington Post. Her new book is the House of Huawei: Inside the Secret World of China's Most Powerful Company.

Today's story: Australia has passed a law that will prohibit children under 16 from accessing social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The law aims to protect kids from cyberbullying and mental health issues, but critics say it's an unfair restriction on kids' freedom to connect online.Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/740--Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.--Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/joinHere's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | EmailMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

From breathtaking landscapes to authentic local experiences, rural China offers a world of adventure for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. In this episode of Takeaway Chinese, not only will we explore some must-try activities but we'll also introduce useful vocabulary to enhance your Chinese proficiency. On the show: Liu Honglin & Steve.(05:30) Practical vocabulary related to rural area.(08:58) Exciting travel experiences for enjoying a peaceful escape in rural China.

China is in the grip of a gender war. While government officials are texting and even cold calling women to urge them have children, the fertility rate continues to drop. Better educated and often better paid their male peers, many urban Chinese women are simply choosing not to marry. To discuss the growing female backlash to the Party’s pro-natal policies, Louisa and Graeme are joined by Chloe Mofei Shen, lifestyle director of Elle China and Qiqi Huang, post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies at the University of Macau. Image: “Marrying late has many advantages”, BG E15/716, Landsberger Collection, 1975. Show transcripts available at https://www.thechinastory.org/lrp/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can diplomatic charisma prevent crises from escalating? Does the CCP feel conflicted about aligning with the likes of Iran and North Korea? What's the use of communicating during a great power competition? To find out, ChinaTalk interviewed R. Nicholas Burns, Biden's Ambassador to China, whose diplomatic career spans 35 years and 8 countries. We discuss… Kissinger's experience negotiating with the CCP, Why China's negotiating tactics are so different from those of the Soviet Union, How European allies are helping to push back against Chinese aggression, Great power responsibilities, and whether Chinese leaders truly appreciate the reputational costs of helping the Russians and the Houthis, Biden's victories with new partners in the Pacific, How diplomats express consequences and draw red lines during international crises, Areas of mutual interest where the U.S. and China can still engage productively, The importance of specialists in the Foreign Service.  Outro music:  Óró Mo Bháidín - Mary O'Hara Auld Lang Syne - Rendition by The Irish Rovers, originally written by Robert Burns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN - Chinese News at 13:00 (JST), January 13

Another year has come to an end. Which were the most popular articles on Hacking Chinese in 2024 The most popular podcast episodes? It's time to summarise the year that was and highlight the things you really shouldn't miss! #learnchinese #bestof #summary #articles #podcast Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Best of Hacking Chinese 2024: https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2024 The Fluent Listener: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/the-fluent-listener-navigating-mandarin-like-a-fish-in-water/⁠ The best articles, editor's choice: 5. Insights from Skritter's Complete Guide to Learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/interview-insights-from-skritters-complete-guide-to-learning-chinese/ 4. Chinese character learning for all students: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-character-learning-for-all-students/ 3. Learning to hear the sounds and tones in Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-to-hear-the-sounds-tones-in-mandarin/ 2. Four key principles to improve your Mandarin listening comprehension: https://www.hackingchinese.com/four-key-principles-to-improve-your-mandarin-listening-comprehension/ 1. Three things I wish I had known as a beginner/intermediate/advanced student of Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-things-i-wish-i-had-known-as-a-beginner-student-of-chinese-the-time-machine-part-1/ The best articles, popular vote: 5. Chinese character variants and fonts for language learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-character-variants-and-fonts-for-language-learners/ 4. Chinese character learning for all students: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-character-learning-for-all-students/ 3. 24 great resources for improving your Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/24-great-resources-for-improving-your-mandarin-pronunciation/ 2. The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-hacking-chinese-guide-to-mandarin-tones/ 1. The best podcasts for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-podcasts-for-learning-chinese/ The best podcast episodes: 5. How I used a notebook to learn more Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-you-really-should-use-a-chinese-notebook/ 4. Three things I wish I had known as a beginner/intermediate/advanced student of Chinese: The time machine: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-things-i-wish-i-had-known-as-a-beginner-student-of-chinese-the-time-machine-part-1/ 3. Why is listening in Chinese so hard?: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-is-listening-in-chinese-so-hard/ 2. The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-hacking-chinese-guide-to-mandarin-tones/ 1. The best podcasts for learning Chinese in 2024: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-podcasts-for-learning-chinese/ Courses on Hacking Chinese: Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/ Unlocking Chinese: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/unlocking-chinese-ultimate-guide-beginner/ Hacking Chinese: A Practical Guide to Learning Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/practical-guide-to-learning-mandarin/ The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/the-fluent-listener-navigating-mandarin-like-a-fish-in-water/ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at: https://www.hackingchinese.com/ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

What's that screeching sound? Is it Peking Opera? Oh, wait, it's just a talent show. In this Mandarin podcast, you'll learn how to use Chinese to describe that television staple, the talent show. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1241

則 zé - (measure word) used for news, events, or cases 痛心 tòng xīn - heartbroken, distressed 詐騙 zhà piàn - fraud, scam 強盜 qiáng dào - robber, bandit 犯罪案件 fàn zuì àn jiàn - criminal case 層出不窮 céng chū bù qióng - to emerge endlessly, to be rampant 母女 mǔ nǚ - mother and daughter 聲稱 shēng chēng - to claim, to assert 詐騙集團 zhà piàn jí tuán - fraud syndicate, scam group 陸續 lù xù - successively, one after another 投入 tóu rù - to invest, to put in (resources or energy) 資金 zī jīn - funds, capital 積蓄 jī xù - savings, accumulated funds 抵押 dǐ yā - to mortgage, to use as collateral 加起來 jiā qǐ lái - to add up, to sum up 報案 bào àn - to report a case (to the police) 員警 yuán jǐng - police officer 筆錄 bǐ lù - written record, transcript 徹底 chè dǐ - thoroughly, completely 崩潰 bēng kuì - to collapse emotionally, to break down 冷言相向 lěng yán xiāng xiàng - to respond with cold or harsh words 冷言嘲諷 lěng yán cháo fèng - cold words and sarcasm 陳屍 chén shī - to be found dead, to be discovered deceased 住處 zhù chù - residence, dwelling 自殺 zì shā - suicide, to take one's own life 憤怒 fèn nù - anger, fury 涉嫌 shè xián - to be suspected of 教唆 jiào suō - to instigate, to abet 涉案 shè àn - to be involved in a case 車手 chē shǒu - money mule, person collecting funds for a scam group 主謀 zhǔ móu - mastermind, ringleader If your New Year's goal is to improve your Chinese, meet more Taiwanese friends, and discuss a variety of topics like politics, culture, war, news, economics, and more! I invite you to book a one-on-one trial lesson with me

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Li Wei's Heartfelt Chinese New Year Away from Home Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-01-13-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在一个寒冷的冬季，李伟正忙着布置他的大学宿舍。En: On a cold winter's day, Li Wei was busy decorating his college dorm room.Zh: 他准备迎接中国新年，尽管他远离家乡。En: He was preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year, even though he was far from home.Zh: 房间里挂满了红色的纸灯笼，窗边粘着各式各样的春联。En: The room was adorned with red paper lanterns, and various chunlian were stuck to the windows.Zh: 空气中弥漫着传统食物的香味，温暖了整个空间。En: The air was filled with the aroma of traditional foods, warming the entire space.Zh: 李伟是一个有决心的年轻人。En: Li Wei was a determined young man.Zh: 他想把传统带到学校，让朋友们感到节日的欢愉。En: He wanted to bring traditions to the school and let his friends feel the joy of the festival.Zh: 他特别关心的是他的好朋友美琳。En: He was especially concerned about his good friend Mei Lin.Zh: 美琳最近一直在思念家人，对参加庆祝活动不太热心。En: Mei Lin had recently been missing her family and was not very enthusiastic about attending the celebrations.Zh: 准备工作不止这些。En: The preparations were not easy.Zh: 李伟发现难以在校园附近找到正宗的新年装饰和食材。En: Li Wei found it challenging to find authentic New Year decorations and ingredients near the campus.Zh: 但他不想放弃。En: But he did not want to give up.Zh: 他召集宿舍的朋友们，大家群策群力，终于找到了一些替代品。En: He gathered his dorm friends, and with everyone's combined efforts, they finally found some substitutes.Zh: 虽然简单，但也洋溢着浓浓的节日气氛。En: Although simple, they still exuded a strong festive atmosphere.Zh: 美琳坐在宿舍角落，面露愁苦。En: Mei Lin sat in a corner of the dorm, looking troubled.Zh: 她真的很想家，这让她不想参与太多的活动。En: She really missed home, which made her reluctant to participate in too many activities.Zh: 然而，当她看到李伟和其他学生一起忙碌，脸上带着兴奋的笑容时，心底有了一丝温暖。En: However, when she saw Li Wei and the other students bustling about with excited smiles on their faces, a warmth filled her heart.Zh: 庆祝活动如期开始，房间里充满了欢声笑语。En: The celebration began as scheduled, the room filled with laughter and joy.Zh: 李伟热情地邀请美琳加入他们，给了她一个温暖的拥抱。En: Li Wei warmly invited Mei Lin to join them, giving her a warm hug.Zh: 在这一刻，美琳感受到了朋友们的关怀和支持。En: In that moment, Mei Lin felt the care and support from her friends.Zh: 活动中，李伟讲述了一些关于家乡的新年故事，大家都听得入迷。En: During the event, Li Wei shared some New Year stories from his hometown, and everyone listened intently.Zh: 美琳被李伟的努力深深打动，她决定加入庆祝活动，并感觉到了友情的温暖。En: Mei Lin was deeply moved by Li Wei's efforts, and she decided to join in the celebration, feeling the warmth of friendship.Zh: 不久，她的脸上也绽放出笑容。En: Soon, a smile appeared on her face too.Zh: 派对结束后，美琳心怀感激，对李伟说：“谢谢你，你让我觉得不再孤单。En: After the party ended, Mei Lin gratefully said to Li Wei, "Thank you, you made me feel not so alone."Zh: ”李伟微笑着点头，他知道自己成功了。En: Li Wei nodded with a smile, knowing he had succeeded.Zh: 这次庆祝活动让李伟更加自信，他相信可以在异乡找到家的感觉。En: This celebration made Li Wei more confident, believing that he could find a sense of home even far away.Zh: 而美琳也意识到，即使远在他乡，她也能拥有暖心的朋友和支持。En: And Mei Lin realized that even though she was far from home, she could still have warm-hearted friends and support.Zh: 宿舍里渐渐平静下来，外面的寒风却显得不再那么凛冽了。En: The dorm gradually became quiet, but the cold wind outside seemed no longer so biting. Vocabulary Words:decorate: 布置adorned: 挂满aroma: 香味determined: 有决心enthusiastic: 热心authentic: 正宗gathered: 召集substitutes: 替代品exuded: 洋溢festive: 节日corner: 角落reluctant: 不想bustling: 忙碌warmth: 温暖hug: 拥抱intently: 入迷deeply moved: 深深打动gratefully: 心怀感激confident: 自信sense of home: 家的感觉warm-hearted: 暖心support: 支持gradually: 渐渐biting: 凛冽celebrate: 迎接lanterns: 纸灯笼traditional foods: 传统食物troubled: 愁苦celebration: 庆祝活动participate: 参与

The dollar index soars to its highest level since late 2022, prompting the PBOC to ramp up efforts in a bid to protect the yuan. Chinese trade data for December beats expectations. Asian equities start the week slowly following Friday's negative session on Wall Street and the strong December U.S. jobs print. In energy news, Brent rallies to top $81 per barrel on the back of new U.S. sanctions on Russian crude – its highest level for four months. And in Los Angeles, residents are braced for strong Santa Ana winds to return as the death toll from last week's wildfires rises to 24. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

【約翰福音4:27-42】27 當下門徒回來、就希奇耶穌和一個婦人說話．只是沒有人說、你是要甚麼．或說、你為甚麼和他說話。28 那婦人就留下水罐子、往城裏去、對眾人說、29 你們來看、有一個人將我素來所行的一切事、都給我說出來了、莫非這就是基督麼。30 眾人就出城往耶穌那裏去。31 這其間、門徒對耶穌說、拉比、請喫。32 耶穌說、我有食物喫、是你們不知道的。33 門徒就彼此對問說、莫非有人拿甚麼給他喫麼。34 耶穌說、我的食物、就是遵行差我來者的旨意、作成他的工。35 你們豈不說、到收割的時候、還有四個月麼．我告訴你們、舉目向田觀看、莊稼已經熟了、〔原文作發白〕可以收割了。36 收割的人得工價、積蓄五穀到永生．叫撒種的和收割的一同快樂。37 俗語說、那人撒種、這人收割、這話可見是真的。38 我差你們去收你們所沒有勞苦的．別人勞苦、你們享受他們所勞苦的。39 那城裏有好些撒瑪利亞人信了耶穌、因為那婦人作見證說、他將我素來所行的一切事、都給我說出來了。40 於是撒瑪利亞人來見耶穌、求他在他們那裏住下．他便在那裏住了兩天。41 因耶穌的話、信的人就更多了．42 便對婦人說、現在我們信、不是因為你的話、是我們親自聽見了、知道這真是救世主。

To tip or not to tip in China... You might think you know the answer to this question, but it can be a little confusing, and you may find yourself needing to ask this very basic question: should I leave a tip? Listen to this lesson and learn the Chinese words for tipping. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1265

China is set to expand its international flight operations this year, supported by new preferential policies such as visa-free transit for overseas tourists. The move aims to enhance sector development and return air traffic to 90 percent of the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Thursday."We will capitalize on the opportunities provided by new preferential policies, including visa-free travel for tourists in transit, and work to build a more robust international transfer market," said Song Zhiyong, head of the CAAC, during the administration's annual conference in Beijing.The initiative seeks to increase both passenger and cargo air traffic, strengthen China's global market connectivity and aid the country's post-pandemic recovery in the aviation sector. China is focusing on improving airport services and promoting cultural exchanges to position itself as a more attractive destination for international travelers.China's civil aviation sector, severely impacted by the pandemic, made a strong recovery last year, returning to profitability and cutting its losses by 20.6 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) compared to the previous year, according to Song.In 2024, China operated 6,400 weekly round-trip international passenger flights, 84 percent of its pre-pandemic levels. Air links with nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative expanded notably, with 19 new destinations added to China's air network last year.Passenger traffic increased 152.4 percent to destinations in Central Asia, 49.5 percent to West Asia and 25.7 percent to Europe, all above pre-pandemic levels. The bump in traffic created new opportunities for international travel and cross-border commerce.This year, China's economy is expected to generate fresh momentum, further enhancing prospects for the civil aviation market. According to the International Air Transport Association, global passenger traffic is forecast to exceed 5.2 billion trips in 2025, a 6.7 percent increase year-on-year.Recent milestonesChina's civil aviation sector has achieved significant milestones in recent years.Last year, the industry saw a record-high passenger volume of 730 million, and cargo/mail volume of 8.98 million metric tons, representing year-on-year increases of 17.9 percent and 22.1 percent, respectively. Compared to 2019, passenger traffic grew 10.6 percent, while cargo/mail volume rose 19.3 percent.This year, passenger volume is expected to reach 780 million, with cargo/mail volume projected at 9.5 million tons.A key driver behind China's expanding aviation sector has been the relaxation of visa policies.The Chinese government has eased visa requirements for international travelers, particularly those transiting through the country. Major airports such as Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport are spearheading efforts to improve the layover experience, making China an increasingly attractive transit hub.BCIA, a cornerstone of China's aviation infrastructure, has significantly enhanced its visa-free transit policies and passenger-centric initiatives. Recent upgrades include expanded global connections, streamlined immigration processes and enhanced visa-on-arrival services. For long-haul travelers, these improvements facilitate seamless connections and offer opportunities to explore nearby attractions during extended layovers.The airport has also invested in showcasing Chinese culture, introducing cultural exhibitions and art displays that celebrate the nation's heritage. For example, its art gallery now features rotating exhibitions of Chinese calligraphy, historical paintings and rare artifacts from ancient dynasties, providing international visitors a glimpse into China's rich cultural legacy.At Beijing Daxing International Airport, known for its futuristic design, efforts have focused on creating an immersive cultural experience for layover passengers. The recently renovated Ceramic Garden now serves as an interactive display highlighting China's ceramic heritage, enriching the airport experience and deepening international travelers' understanding of Chinese culture.Looking ahead, China's aviation sector is expected to continue its upward trajectory. With expanding international routes, a growing fleet of modern aircraft and increasingly flexible visa policies, China is well-positioned to remain a key player in the global aviation market.